Narendra Modi sworn in for a 3rd term as Prime Minister of India

TDP with 16 MPs and Nitish Kumar’s JD-U with 12 MPs are part of the coalition government sworn-in today at a grand ceremony in President’s House

BJP’s Narendra Modi was sworn in today for a record third straight term as the Prime Minister of India. Modi who has been serving as the PM since 2014, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Droupadi Murmu.

Among those present in the swearing-in ceremony were Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay, Nepali PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Mauritius PM Pravind Jugnauth and Vice President of Seychelles Ahmed Afif were present in the swearing-in ceremony.

Besides, actors Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, Rajinikanth, Vikrant Massey and film-maker Rajkumar Hirani were also seen attending the event.

Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani along with his son Anant Ambani Adani group chairman Gautam Adani were also present in the ceremony.

This is the first time in 10 years that Narendra Modi-led BJP has had to seek the support of other parties to form the government at the Centre. In 2014, BJP under the leadership of Modi won the Lok Sabha elections with a clear majority of 282 (10 more than the majority mark) and in 2019, Modi and his BJP swept the elections with a landslide victory winning 303 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats. This time the party won 240 seats on its own. With 240 seats, BJP is the country’s single largest party but the number is 32 short of the halfway mark needed to form the government.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) with 16 MPs and Nitish Kumar’s JD-U with 12 MPs have extended their support for the BJP to form the coalition government at the Centre.

What we know of Chandrababu Naidu, one of the Kingmakers:

TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu is a three-time chief minister of Andhra Pradesh.
He was known as the CM CEO.

TDP was founded by Naidu’s father-in-law NT Rama Rao – a legend of Telugu cinema. Naidu began his career as a Congress worker and was a confidant of Rajiv Gandhi before jumping ship to the TDP. He took over the party in 1995 – the same year that he became chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh – and in 1996 joined the NDA.

Naidu soon became Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s ‘Man Friday’ from 1999 to 2003 and played a vital role in helping NDA form a government at the Centre.

Naidu’s TDP left the BJP-led NDA prior to the 2019 polls. However, the jump to the UPA proved to be a mistake as the polls saw the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP wipe out the TDP.
In 2024, Naidu decided to return to the BJP fold and partner the saffron party for the Lok Sabha elections.

Nitish Kumar, the other Kingmaker:

Nitish Kumar is Bihar Chief Minister and chief of Janata Dal (United). Kumar, a political veteran, has earned the nickname ‘paltu Ram’ for his propensity for switching camps.

In 2013, Nitish called off a 17-year alliance with the BJP to link up with the RJD. In 2017, Nitish left the Mahagathbandan for the NDA.

Who are the other partners of BJP in the coalition govt:

Also part of the government is the Lok Janshakti Party with five seats, the Eknath Shinde Shiv Sena with seven seats, the Rashtriya Lok Dal, the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Jana Sena Party with two Lok Sabha seats each, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP with one seat, Sikkim’s Sikkim krantikari Morcha with one seat, Assam’s UPPL and AGP with one seat each. UPPL and AGP are BJP’s allies in Assam.

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